Requests for Bids / Proposals / Qualifications

When the City has open Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Bids (RFBs), or Requests for Qualifications (RFQs), they will be on the Bids and Proposal page (click on the "Bids and Proposals" button below to be redirected). The documents include instructions for submitting bids and proposals including deadlines and staff contact information. Please note that submissions for RFPs that are restricted to the pre-qualified list will only be accepted from vendors on the pre-qualified list. If the submission is listed as electronic only response, please ensure enough time to enter all the required information prior to the deadline. The City will not accept and is not responsible for late submissions.

Plans and specifications and Plan Holder's list are available at the Santa Ana Blue Print (SABP) website at www.sabp.com. Click here for a helpful guide for downloading the Plan Holder's list. Be sure to check the SABP website regularly as the list of Plan Holder's is updated.

City of Lake Forest Purchasing Philosophy

Lake Forest Purchasing Philosophy (PDF) provides prospective vendors and other interested parties general information regarding the City’s procurement process. In summary Question and Answer format, the Purchasing Philosophy provides an overview of the City’s current vendor/consultant selection practices and explains the methods used to select vendors/ consultants.

Scope Comment Period

The City has implemented a "Comment Period" to allow an opportunity for interested vendors to provide comments on a draft project scope before the final Request for Proposal/Bids/Qualifications are published on the website. During this period, proposing firms will have seven (7) calendar days to review the scope and provide comments and clarifications. Once the comment period is closed, a project manager may opt to incorporate any of the comments into the final scope of work as appropriate. Subsequently, the project manager will post the final Request for Proposal/Bids/Qualifications online, at which time will also note the deadline for interested firms to submit a final proposal. Please note that the deadline for the comment period is not the deadline for interested firms to submit their final proposals.

Vendor Registration - PlanetBids

Thank you for your interest in doing business with the City of Lake Forest. We welcome new vendors and are committed to providing opportunities for all qualified business to submit bids and proposals. Registration is free of charge; however, only vendors who are registered will be eligible to do business with the City. We use an online vendor registration system through PlanetBids to send automated email notices of bid and proposal opportunities to vendors who have registered with the City of Lake Forest. While some of the City of Lake Forest’s bidding and proposal opportunities may not be posted on the website, the online supplier database may still be used to notify you of RFPS, RFBs and RFQs via other methods such as direct email. This proactive approach will eliminate the obligation of vendors to constantly check the City’s website for bid or proposal opportunities. You may register your firm through our Vendor Registration portal.

Required Documentation

You will need to have the following information available to complete your registration:

Name and email address of the primary contact person who should receive our bid and proposals notification

Alternate email address. This should be one that is checked daily, regardless of any employee absences or personnel changes. Bid and proposal opportunities are sent simultaneously to both the primary and alternate email address to help ensure your company receives the notice in a timely manner

Any applicable license numbers such a State Contractor’s License or DIR Registration.

Category Codes. We use NAICS codes to identify our supplier’s type of business and direct our bid and proposal notifications to the appropriate companies. If you do not know your company’s applicable NAICS code(s) you will be able to look it up within the category code section of our system. We encourage you to choose all codes (20 maximum) that fully reflect your services and/or merchandise for sale.

Your Company’s Tax ID or your Social Security Number

Additional information and tips for registering are located within the vendor registration portal. Once you have registered, please be sure to keep your contact information current in our system. If the email address you provide becomes invalid, you will not receive our bid and proposal notifications or correspondences. If you have any technical difficulties please contact PlanetBids customer support directly at www.planetbids.com or 818-992-1771.